In acknowledging that South Africa does have a high rate of violent crime, it is important to examine the root causes of this violence and not simply blame guns as the sole cause
File image
NATIONAL NEWS - The proposed amendments to the Firearms Control Act has caused an uproar among South Africans with a number of organisations raising their concern on one particular issue.
A draft of the Firearms Control Amendment Bill was published in the government gazette on Friday.
The bill could see applicants looking to get a firearm licence for self-defence and hunting purposes being prohibited if it is signed into law.
While the bill was been labelled as draconian by some organisations, others believe that the bill will hinder the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the country.
Gun owners group doubt womanâs licence denial is on religious grounds
Share
Cape Town - The South African Gunowners Association (Saga) has cast doubt on the theory that a Muslim woman, Maleek Sayed, was denied her licence for a firearm because of religious reasons.
Saga spokesperson John Welch said: âWe doubt that the licence application was refused because of religious discrimination, since the legal requirements for the photo are clearly specified.â
Welch said: âThe purpose of the photo is to enable law enforcement to identify the owner of the licensed firearm.â
However, Welch said the fact that Sayedâs firearm competency requirements had been accepted using the same photograph was strange.
âThis situation has resulted in unexpected consequences on the service delivery front,â he said.
But Saga chair Paul Oxley said the police have refused to implement the electronic connectivity upon which the FCA was based back in 2004.
âThe chickens have been coming home to roost regularly ever since⦠To attempt to blame this all on Covid-19 is merely the latest in a long litany of Saps incompetence,â he said.
According to Oxley, in 2009, the Saps had about 950 000 firearm licence application backlog which led to the court order, still in force, deeming all previous holders of licences, permits and authorisations to still be valid.